Green

She was born in poverty, in a dusty village under the equatorial sun. She does not remember her mother, she does not remember her own nameher earliest clear memory is of the day her father sold her to the tall pale man. In the Court of the Pomegranate Tree, where she was taught the ways of a courtesanand the skills of an assassinshe was named Emerald, the precious jewel of the Undying Dukes collection of beauties. She calls herself Green.

The fantasy world that Jay Lake depicts in Green is vivi..Show More »d enough, with gods, myths, different cultures, races, and sentient species. It's a medieval world in which some cultures use some steam and gunpowder, a religious world in which people may become gods and gods may answer prayers or even be killed, a magical world of ghosts and spells to extend life. The themes, concerning the relationship between gods and believers, the mixture of good and evil in human beings, and the difficulty of making the world a better place, are interesting. And Lake has created a strong protagonist in Green, a narrator of conscience and empathy who honestly tells the story of her lonely childhood and youth being trained into a mistress/spy but struggling instead to choose her own path in life. Green abhors the violence she must often use and discovers how difficult it is to act solely for oneself without causing unexpected harm.

The first half of the story is absorbing, as Green details her training in the Pomegranate Court of the Factor's House, but in the last third things get, perhaps, a little too frenzied, fabulous, and divinely influenced. The conclusion ties up the immediate story well enough but also leaves things open for future volumes in Green's autobiography.

Some listeners have objected to the lesbian love that plays a significant (though not overly graphic or frequent) role in the novel. Given Green's education, experiences, and personality, I find it appropriate (and even moving), though her interest in whipping and being whipped seems a bit far-fetched and excrescently kinky.

Katherine Kellgren gives a strong reading, just as she does for Bloody Jack, full of understanding and compassion, modified for different characters, and enhancing the story's exciting, scary, tender, or sad parts. But she has such a distinctive voice that at times I thought "Katherine" rather than "Green."

Endurance: Green Universe, Book 2

Green is back in Copper Downs. Purchased from her father in sunny Selistan when she was four years old, she was harshly raised to be a courtesan, companion, and bedmate of the Immortal Duke of Copper Downs. But Green rebelled.Green killed the Duke, and many others, and won her freedom. Yet she is still claimed by the gods and goddesses of her world, and they still require her service. Their demands are greater than any duke's could have been.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the book in many ways more than the first.

The performance was so good I sought out other things Katherine Kellgren did.

A..Show More »s with the last book there is enough action to keep things moving and enough surprises to keep you guessing.

The best and worst part is that clearly there needs to be another book in the series. Hopefully I won't have to wait long.

Kalimpura: Green Universe, Book 3

Green is hounded by the gods of Copper Downs and the gods of Kalimpura, who have laid claim to her and her children. She never wanted to be a conduit for the supernatural, but when she killed the Immortal Duke and created the Ox god with the power she released, she came to their notice. Now she has sworn to retrieve the two girls taken hostage by the Bittern Court, one of Kalimpura’s rival guilds. But the Temple of the Lily Goddess is playing politics with her life.

Please let there be a fourth book!

I just finished listening to Kalimpura, and all I want to do is listen to it again. It's the kind of fantasy book that demonstrates through its own ex..Show More »cellence all the things that are sometimes missing from other books in the genre. The characters are multi-faceted—flawed, believable, and sympathetic. The settings are likewise layered, with vivid descriptions. The plot offers surprising turns, but still feels solidly grounded in the Green universe. This is a great series for readers who like strong female characters.

The narrator is very animated—so animated, in fact, that I feel like she must have been acting out the various battles during the recording. She definitely has an uncanny ability to conjure Green's fury.

I don't know if there is a fourth book planned for the Green series, but I hope so. I'm not done with these characters!

Coming for Green: A Tale of the Green Universe

Written by multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee Jay Lake, "Coming for Green" is set in the universe of his "Green" novels. It was published for the first time in the 2010 collection, The Sky That Wraps. Over his long career, Jay Lake has published 10 novels and more than 300 stories. He was honored with the 2004 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Thanks, Jay Lake

I'm going to submit the same review for all three short stories in this series, "Coming for Green," "People of Leaf and Branch," and "A Water Matter."..Show More » They are all well-crafted stories that let us get to know characters who more or less acted in the background of the Green trilogy. They also further explain the complex workings of the Green universe in a satisfying way.

We lost Jay Lake too soon, and I'm so grateful that he was able to offer these stories before he passed. Grateful also that Katherine Kellgren was available for the narration. She is so expressive, and truly captures the spirit of this series.

People of Leaf and Branch: A Tale of the Green Universe

Written by multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee Jay Lake, "People of Leaf and Branch" is set in the universe of his "Green" novels. It was first published in the June 2009 issue of Fantasy Magazine.

Over his long career, Jay Lake has published 10 novels and more than 300 stories. He was honored with the 2004 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Thanks, Jay Lake

I'm going to submit the same review for all three short stories in this series, "Coming for Green," "People of Leaf and Branch," and "A Water Matter."..Show More » They are all well-crafted stories that let us get to know characters who more or less acted in the background of the Green trilogy. They also further explain the complex workings of the Green universe in a satisfying way.

We lost Jay Lake too soon, and I'm so grateful that he was able to offer these stories before he passed. Grateful also that Katherine Kellgren was available for the narration. She is so expressive, and truly captures the spirit of this series.

A Water Matter: A Tale of the Green Universe

Written by multiple Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee Jay Lake, "A Water Matter" is set in the universe of his "Green" novels. It was first published in 2008 on Tor.com. Over his long career, Jay Lake has published 10 novels and more than 300 stories. He was honored with the 2004 John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer.

Thanks, Jay Lake

I'm going to submit the same review for all three short stories in this series, "Coming for Green," "People of Leaf and Branch," and "A Water Matter."..Show More » They are all well-crafted stories that let us get to know characters who more or less acted in the background of the Green trilogy. They also further explain the complex workings of the Green universe in a satisfying way.

We lost Jay Lake too soon, and I'm so grateful that he was able to offer these stories before he passed. Grateful also that Katherine Kellgren was available for the narration. She is so expressive, and truly captures the spirit of this series.